Anguished (Crimson Elite Book 2)

by T. L Smith

  That’s when I see Mike, dressed much like he always is. Walking over to him, there’s a woman’s hand on his shoulder. I can’t quite see her because the man standing in front of my brother is blocking my view. He spots me, his posture straightens, and he looks at me with hard flinty eyes. Then a slow smirk creeps up over his face as I get closer and I see who’s touching him, holding his shoulder as if he’s hers, while she looks at him longingly as if she loves him. That stare was once reserved for me. What a lie she must live. She can’t love us both, so she’s lying to one of us, and I doubt it’s me considering she was with me for many years.

  When she sees me the smile on her face instantly disappears, and she drops her hand from Mike’s shoulder. He notices too and looks at her touching her waist. As I take a step toward her, I remember what my mother said. I look over my shoulder to see Mother watching me, waiting for me to react. She knows I’ll lose my shit, but I don’t think she warned me to protect me, it was to protect him.

  “This is new…” I say looking at both of them.

  My brother excuses himself from his friends and walks to me pulling Selena with him. She comes, but her eyes look to the floor unable to make eye contact with me.

  “It isn’t actually, but I’m sure you knew that.”

  “I didn’t.” I glance at Selena waiting for to her to look up, and when she doesn’t, I say her name, “Selena.”

  “I tried telling you.” Those eyes, the same ones I love, don’t look at me with love anymore. They look at me as if I’m a stranger and she doesn’t want to be near me.

  “You didn’t. But I see you’ve obviously downgraded to fucking my brother.”

  She gasps loudly, and Mike looks around to see who heard me. A few people did, but I don’t really care, it’s not as if he fucking cared when he decided to fuck her.

  “Tell me, how long?”

  “Now isn’t the place, Echo,” she says looking around. The room’s gone silent, but I wait knowing he will tell me. He can’t resist rubbing everything I don’t have in my face.

  “Four months.”

  Bubbling out of nowhere, I start laughing, and it won’t stop. I regard her then chuckle again shaking my head.

  “That’s why you always came home so desperately wanting me. Wasn’t my brother fulfilling your needs sexually, Selena? You couldn’t say no to how I fucked you could you because I can fuck, and I’m guessing my brother here only likes it one way… doggy. That’s the kind of man he is.” She doesn’t say a word because I know it’s true.

  “She wasn’t with you,” Mike replies.

  So, she lied to both of us.

  Waiting for her to speak, I search her face. She doesn’t say anything, so I look at my brother and smirk.

  “She was, four weeks ago. I fucked her on the floor then in the bed. She screamed my fucking name so loud that she couldn’t control the scratches she left down my back.” Glancing at her, I watch her face turn beet red so I continue, “And every day before that. Tell me, Selena… are you being fulfilled? Or do you want one last ride on the Echo train?”

  “Fuck off, Echo. Leave my house.” Now, he’s angry. I see she kept that little cherry of information to herself as well.

  “Tell me, Mike… what’s it like having my seconds. It seems all your good at is going after what’s mine.”

  “Echo Brown, you need to leave, now.” My father’s hand touches my shoulder and I shake him off.

  “You had such trouble finding your own that you went after what’s mine.”

  Mike’s face is scrunched, eyes wide, and his nostrils are flaring so broad I could drive a steam train up them. Yep, he’s more than angry.

  “If you must know, she came to me.”

  “Is this true, Selena?”

  She looks up now, her eyes not set on the floor any longer. “You stopped caring. You stopped seeing me, Echo.” I laugh at her lies. “You did,” she reiterates and then continues, “I became a fixture in your life. You never loved me. Not the way I loved you. It’s hard to love someone so much and not get the same in return.” Mike squeezes her. “Now, I have that. Our love is equal. Mike loves me, I love him.”

  “And I’m sure you’re both fucking ecstatically happy. Even by the fact that you’re both lying assholes wanting to destroy a person you’re both meant to love.”

  “Echo… leave, now.” This time it’s my mother.

  I turn to face her. Mother’s face is stern, but it doesn’t bother me. I’m furious at her too. “You’re just as bad as him! Your golden child is a fucking dick.” I walk away reaching for a bottle of bourbon as I leave.

  “Echo.” My feet hit the bottom step as I turn around to see Selena at the top of the steps. “I didn’t want to hurt you, but you must see the truth in this. You didn’t love me the way you should have.”

  I take a few steps up, so I’m on the same level as her. I move in close, so our lips are almost touching. “I loved you, Selena. It was all on you. You decided to break my heart.”

  A tear leaves her eye and gently rolls down her cheek. “You don’t love me. You think you do because I was your first relationship. But you must know, Echo, you don’t love me. I certainly wasn’t your first thought morning and night, I was generally your last. Many times you forget I was home waiting for you, and that’s okay because I loved you anyway.” She licks her lips making my eyes track her movements.

  “Him…” I say shaking my head. “You really know how to punch me in the guts without touching me, don’t you? What sort of punishment are you serving on me just because I missed a few dinners, forgot a few things? The penalty you conjured is to fuck my brother?”

  Selena shakes her head. “He loves me, Echo. I know this was the worst choice, ever. But he does. I need someone to love me and to see me. You never saw me… really. Tell me, Echo, what’s my mother’s name? My favorite color? These are things you should know considering we were together for years.”

  “I know how to make you come, what more do you want from me?”

  She takes a step away. “You know how to fuck, Echo, but that’s all.”

  Mike’s behind her now, but Selena doesn’t know that as she continues, “You know how to touch all those spots that takes people years to learn. Is that what you want to hear Echo? Will that make you feel better about this situation? To know you’re the only man who’s made me come in such a way that it took me years to leave you… to leave that kind of pleasure behind.”

  I smirk.

  “Selena,” Mike says, his face now showing something entirely different to what I’ve ever seen before. Hurt. I watch as he slowly blinks, while something resembling pain filters over his body. He loves her. The way he reaches for her but is reluctant to do so proves it.

  “I’m sorry, Echo. But we hurt him, too.”

  I cackle at her words. “Hurt,” I scoff.

  “You need to leave, now, brother. Fuck off. Now.”

  “What do you plan to do? I’ll fucking knock you out.”

  He looks past her to me.

  “Please Echo, leave.” I hear the cry, the pain in her voice.

  “You two deserve each other.” I flip them off as I walk away.

  I hear his voice raise then hers in reply.

  And I smile a sad fucking smile as I drive off.

  11

  Storm

  Echo’s consistent, I like that about him. Every day without fail he messages me. Some days I don’t reply, but when I’m weak like right now, I do. I give in, and send him a photograph of my boobs.

  He rings, I didn’t expect that response.

  “Vicki, can you please leave and get photography to add pink to the shoot next week.” She nods as I watch my cell vibrating on my desk. Vicki hasn’t been annoying this week, and dare I say everyone in the office has been nicer. I’m even starting to like some of the people I work with, especially Tracey from accounts.

  “Blondie.”

  “Red… fuck! Talk about making a man hot.” I smile at h
is words. “I miss that pink pussy and that long red hair that was made for me to pull.”

  “Should I… come over for a visit?” I’m about to finish up anyway. And I can’t think of anywhere else I want to be.

  “Fuck yes! Yes. Meet me in twenty?”

  “I’ll bring dessert this time.”

  He whistles loudly as I hang up my cell, reaching for the chocolate I brought earlier this week. I place it in my bag spraying myself with some perfume and quickly changing my panties to fresh ones before I leave.

  “You’re leaving?” Tracey comes to my door, her short blonde hair wisps over her face as she stands there with a bottle of wine in her hand.

  “I was…” I point to the door. “What’s that for?” I ask indicating at the bottle.

  She smiles. “Well, I figured you could use it, and to celebrate closing the best fashion campaign of this century.”

  I did, and I worked extremely fucking hard to have them to choose our magazine. I look at my cell then back to Tracey, knowing I won’t be seeing him now. My heart skips a beat of disappointment at that thought.

  “That would be great. Should we start here or somewhere else?”

  She pops open the bottle, walking in with two glasses in her hand. “Here. Then let’s go and eat tacos, then drink some more.”

  I smile. “I like the sound of that.”

  We polish the bottle off, and Echo rings several times. I end up sending him a text message telling him we have to reschedule, and he sends a sad face emoji. I swear, I’ve never met a man who sends more emoji than him.

  “So, are you single?” Tracey asks as we reach the taco place.

  “Yes, are you?”

  “No, but my girlfriend is away right now, so I’m lonely as fuck.” I wasn’t aware she had one, so it comes as a surprise. “You aren’t really single, are you?” My cell beeps, I look down to see his name flashing. “I heard about the god who came into your office, I think everyone’s still talking about him.” She laughs.

  “He… well, he’s just…” I don’t know what to say to that, so I stumble over my words.

  “A booty call?” she asks finishing my sentence.

  “Kind of. Well, yes, I guess he is.”

  “If I didn’t bat for the other team I may ask for more information. But you’re lucky I do.” My cell starts ringing, I look at it and notice his name. “Answer it, it’s fine.” I do so because I want to know what he wants.

  “If I ask you something, I don’t want it to change what we have.”

  “Okay.”

  “What color panties are you wearing?” I laugh then pull the cell away and hang up.

  “You’re glowing, you sure you don’t have something more going on with him?”

  I shake my head. “No. We agreed, just sex. No feelings involved.”

  “I doubt that very much.”

  “So, where should we go drinking?” I ask finishing up my taco.

  She leans in and whispers to me, “I have this one place I know of, it’s very secretive. Can you keep a secret?” I nod my head unsure of what she means. “It’s not far from here, but you must keep it a secret.”

  “I promise.”

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  “Are you sure we’re at the right place? I mean you aren’t here to off me or something, are you?” She giggles at my nervousness, but I’m damn serious. I don’t want to die.

  “Don’t be silly. If I wanted to kill you, I would have drugged your drink and taken you to the nearest water, put you on a boat and thrown you off. Let the sharks have you.”

  Jesus! She’s thought it out—how to kill someone. I’m stunned at her words, but I look around anyway.

  “Leave your bag in the car, trust me you won’t need it. Oh, and maybe lose the coat.”

  I do as she says basically because I’m afraid she might actually knock me off. To be honest, I’m still reeling from her previous words, so I say, “You’ve given a lot of thought to killing people.”

  She laughs. “Wait till you meet my brother then you’ll understand why.” She grips my hand and pulls me through a door. Red curtains assault my sight as I push them aside. What I see at first doesn’t fully register. It can’t. How is this even possible?

  Tracey lets go of my hand and I can feel her staring, but I can’t think to look at her as I frantically look everywhere. So much is going on that my brain’s having trouble processing it all. Girls are flying around suspended from the ceiling on Lycra. Dancers are on stage in barely anything but some small pieces of skimpy material showing all their assets as they dance with a full face of make-up as a clown.

  “What is this place?”

  She laughs then pulls me to the stage. I look up amazed as one of the girls lowers herself from the Lycra in front of me, smiles, then winds herself back up.

  “Tracey, why the fuck are you here.”

  I spin on my toes to that voice. A man is standing in place and he’s looking at Tracey as if he wants to throw her out.

  “I’m allowed.”

  He leans in close and hisses at her, “No you aren’t. Darby’s going to be pissed if he finds out.” It’s then he notices me. “And you brought a friend, too. Are you stupid?” She turns away from him back to the stage, so I hold out my hand to him.

  “I’m Storm, nice to meet you. You must be Tracey’s brother?”

  He glances to it then back at me before he looks to Tracey. “Your girlfriends aren’t allowed in here,” he says to her.

  When she answers him, she doesn’t look at him. “She’s my boss, dick.”

  He visibly changes right in front of my eyes. Gone is the arrogance and in its place is a smile which could melt many panties off the women in here. But luckily for me, my panties are torn off by only one man right now. And I’m happy to stay in that place for a little longer until we decide to move on. Might as well play with my ten until I’m over him. Even if this guy looks like a solid nine, the only problem with that is he knows it.

  “Well, hello there, and who might you be?”

  Tracey looks at me and rolls her eyes. I can’t help but laugh at her.

  “She has someone. Someone who makes her smile too bright for your charming words to work,” she mutters hitting him across the head. “Storm this Falcon, my idiotic brother.”

  I smile at him, turning back to the stage to get lost gazing at the girl, who’s still above me twirling so easily it’s as if it’s how she walks.

  “See, not interested. Now, fuck off,” Tracey mutters next to me.

  “Storm, isn’t it? How about I show you around?”

  I firmly shake my head staying next to Tracey. “I’m good thanks.”

  A hand touches my shoulder. “Are you sure, I have much to show.”

  “What the fuck are you doing down here, loser. You’re meant to be up with Creed before he leaves.”

  That voice—I freeze on the spot.

  “I’m trying to get this beautiful lady to talk to me.”

  I don’t turn around, because I physically can’t. I’m frozen to the spot. He’s right there, within touching distance. And this isn’t how it works. The only time we’re meant to see each other is for sex. This isn’t what we discussed.

  “Red…”

  My back straightens, even more, I don’t know how but it does.

  “Do you plan to turn around and show me that pretty face?” I do as he says, and when I do my heart skips a beat because the smile on his face is panty melting. “I knew it was you.” He leans down kisses my lips fast and it shocks me because that’s something you do with the person you’re with. We aren’t like that.

  “Blondie,” I say when he stands and a look passes over his face like he realized what he’s just done. Falcon, Tracey’s brother, stands next to Echo smirking while looking back and forth.

  “You’re here, at my work.”

  I have trouble believing what he’s just said.

  “You work here?” I ask shocked. I don’t know what he
does, but feel it’s unfair that he knows so much about me and I don’t know fuck all about him.

  “This is my place, Red, I own it.” I look at him in astonishment.

  Falcon bumps him then looks at me. “We own it.”

  I look at Falcon then back to Echo. “Nice.”

  He nods his head. “This place isn’t open to the public, Red. I hope Tracey explained to you that the need to not speak of this place is very high.”

  Tracey’s hand touches mine. “She knows, I’ve told her already. Plus, Storm’s a boss herself, so she knows when to keep quiet.” Tracey pulls me toward the stage, but Echo comes up next to me, his hand brushes mine. Tracey looks at him and it’s then she realizes who he is. “Oh my God, he’s it… the office guy?”

  “She speaks of me?” he asks happily next to me.

  “No,” I answer.

  “No. The office was a buzz about you. She didn’t even bring it up.”

  “Red, that hurts. Hurts real bad.” His finger touches the palm of my hand. “Let me show you something.” I look to Tracey who nods and looks back to the stage. When he pulls me away fully, placing his hand in mine, wrapping it around and pulling me, I look around. That’s when I notice what’s around me and not just the stage. Woman are having sex, with men. I pause.

  “What the fuck….”

  His breath comes near my ear. “Welcome to Crimson Elite, Red. I think you’ll be a perfect fit.” He then pushes me into a room, his hands covering my body as I hit a bed then his lips are on mine so fast that he doesn’t give me time to think. I get lost in him, and just as he hikes up my skirt and inserts a finger, I realize where I am.

  My hands push him back. His loss hurts, I want him on me. I want him back, the warmth and everything he brings with it when he touches me. My favorite part is that he makes my heart flutter before it takes off in a gallop so hard that it makes me jump.